Follow the author of this article

Follow the topics within this article

Ian Poulter will employ the weapon that inspired golf’s greatest fightback in his mission to capture a late spot in the Masters.

The 42-year-old Englishman competes in the Dell WGC Match Play here on the quest to “at least make it into the semi-finals” and so re-enter the world’s top 50 in time for Monday’s cut-off qualification point for Augusta.

Tommy Fleetwood, his opponent in Wednesday's opening group match, may look at the Odyssey 7 and wince. For six years, the club which launched that Ryder Cup resurrection as Poulter reeled off five birdies in a row to give his continent a heartbeat, had been a mere curio in his Florida house. Until Sunday and his latest indifferent display.

“Obviously, I used it after the Ryder Cup for a period of time, in fact I won the WGC in China with it,” Poulter said. “But from then, it’s been there in my office in my Ryder Cup bag, acting more as a memento.

“Why have I gone back to it now? To get the mojo back, just like Rory did with his putting last week. He’d been struggling and then found something. It can happen just like that. My tee-to-green stats have been fantastic but my putting has to catch up, because if I get it back to where it was from 2009 to 2012 it will be very, very exciting. And surely if there‘s a putter that can get the juices going, it’s this one.”

Poulter with the putter he used to sink that famous birdie putt at the 16th in the Saturday fourballs that sparked Europe's resurgenceCredit:
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

If he fails in his quest – and a quarter-final place could be enough – Poulter, the world No64, would have one last chance. He has not even entered the Houston Open, but will do so on Friday if he crashes out from a group that also features Americans Daniel Berger and Kevin Chappell. Poulter would not be the only one with a problem in Houston. Lee Westwood – who, down in 89th in the world, did not make it into this 64-man field – would also need a victory in Space City. Otherwise, for the first time since 2004, the two-time runner-up will not be at the Masters, which starts on April 5.

“I was in that boat last year and all I can say is that it hurts – it hurts bad,” Poulter said. “I don’t want to miss the Masters again because I know I’m playing well enough.”

Poulter has agreed in principle to be part of the Sky’s commentary team at Augusta. “It’s not a future career option, no,” he said. “Maybe it would act as motivation, maybe that pain of being there and not actually teeing it up would act as a kick up the backside.

“It appears simple what I have to do here – win five games. Easy right? But it ain’t, because they’re all great players and on paper, I’m the underdog in the group. Tommy’s done unbelievably well in the last few years and we’ve become mates. But there’s no mates when you go out there in match play.”

His glory days do seem in the wing mirror, but Poulter insisted: “[Phil] Mickelson’s just won at 47, Tiger’s looking like he’s going to win very, very soon at 42. Yeah, I’ve got mileage left in my legs for sure.”